Teen inmate strikes jailer, gets another charge filed against her in court

Written by Marty Randall

Tuesday, 08 July 2014 13:38

An 18-year-old being processed for incarceration at the Scott County Security Center after her arrest on drug-related and public intoxication charges has now had a charge of Class D battery filed against her as well.

Autumn M. Cutshall, Madison, was originally arrested after Scottsburg police officers were called to the Wal-Mart Super Center on Sunday afternoon, June 15, because of a disturbance in the parking lot.

Cutshall was with three other people, and all had been asked to leave the premises because they were suspected of being intoxicated. The four reportedly had refused to leave and had been standing in the parking lot, court records indicated.

Sgt. Rodney Watts talked with Cutshall. She told him and other officers that she was preparing to leave and led them to her car, which was occupied by two other people. One of those, Scottsburg police discovered, was wanted on a warrant and so was detained for that reason.

The reason Cutshall was eventually taken into custody was that officers saw a plastic bag containing a crystal substance laying on the car’s floor. The substance field-tested positively for methamphetamine.

She was eventually charged in Scott Superior Court with possession of methamphetamine and maintaining a common nuisance, both Class D felonies, and public intoxication, a Class B misdemeanor. At her initial hering on June 19, Cutshall entered a preliminary plea of not guilty. Her jury trial was scheduled for October 2, and bail was set at $15,000 corporate surety bond/$1,500 cash. A public defender was assigned to the case.

When Cutshall arrived at the local jail for processing, she was placed in the facility’s library. The young woman “...began kicking the door, screaming and cursing at officers...,” the probable cause affidavit related. A male and female jailers entered the library to try to calm the woman, but Cutshall continued to scream and curse.When the male jailer began to leave to get a restraint chair, Cutshall allegedly tried to follow him. The female jailer extended her arm across Cutshall’s chest to prevent her exit, telling the teen she was not allowed to leave.

At that point, the affidavit noted, Cutshall hit the female jailer in the eye with her fist.

Cutshall was subsequently restrained and placed in a cell. Medical help was obtained for the jailer.

Cutshall was taken back to Superior Court on Monday, June 23, for her initial hearing on the battery charge. Again, her trial date was scheduled for October 2, and her bail was set at $15,000 by bond or 10% by cash.